Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-02-22
State AFFAIRS.
A Ridiculous Amendment to the High
License Bill which was Unani-
mousiy Sat Down Upon,
Ths Railway Commission Bill IRE 0ccG.
sion OF Great Display Of S4na-
tOrfai ElOquence.
The BID Eek. mpung the First BALD of Cot
ton Passes the Hcuse-A Biz 10 KegU-
late Payment of Wages,

THE FIRST BALE OF COTTON EXEMPT.
Special to the Gazette.
AUSTIN, TEX, Feb. 2l.-The bill to
amend the exemption laws came upon its
final passage in the House this morning,
and after brief but animated discussion,
passed.
Mr.. Bell of Cooke, speaking to the bill,
said that while he did not generally pose
as the poor mans friend, yet in this
measure he thought that the membe
had an opportunity to make good their
promises to their constituents when run
ming for office. He appealed to the farm
ers of the House to know if they were
going to vote against the poor men: This
measure proposed TO exempt bale of
cotton to each family, and he thought it
was nothing but just and equitable to all
parties.
Mr.. Tate offered an amendment making
the first 500 pounds of lint CT the first
1900 pounds of seed cotton exempt. He
believed in giving the renter the first bale,
but not the choice to reserve to himself q
bale after he had sold all of his crop.
Mr.. McGaughey held that if the renter
did not mortgage his first bale it was sb-
solutely his, and by this means great
benefit could be conferred upon those
men who worked lndustriously and tried
to make an honest living.
THE HIGH LICENSE BILL.
Mr.. Latlmer offered an amendment to
the bill which reads: Each and every
man engaging IN such business shall be
I. quired TO keep within his house Of busi-
ness g picture OF death upon his pale
horse, with his right hand holding the
| thuDGerbolt, and tombstone with the
angel OF justice standing ut the head
carving UPON said stone these fearful
words: "NO drunkard can enter the
kiGgdom Of heaven" Tie House uncere-
mUnicusly sat DOWN on tle amendment,
enl it was laid on the table.
Mr. MCGaugh V said ne hoped the bill
would pass without any amendment :, be
cause he considered it one OF the grand
est bills ever offered touching the liquor
question, and he believed if it became q
law that generations yet to come would
rise up and call this Legislature blessed
RAILROAD FREIGRTS AND PASSENGER
TARIFFS.
Senator Upshaw's bill to regulate rail-
road freights and passenger tariffs came
taken cp and read by sections. An
amendment having been offered to sec
ton 2, to strike out the words cor else
where" Senator Allen asked if the
amendment were adopted whether the
bill would then apply to railroads out of
the state whose lines were doing business
within the state.
Senator Pope thought that the state
Slo-a
the operation Of railroads beyond the
boundary lines.
Senator Gregg offered az amendment
to strike out the words, running
in con necticp," with a sentence giving
the six commissioners power to regulate
the operation and connections of rail
roads, the OBJECT being to add a clause
making the passenger trains subject to
regulation time and leave the freights Uo
the option OF the management of the
roads.
Senator Allen speaking to the proposed
change said that he DID not think that the
striking cut of the amendment would
add any strength to the bill and might
cucumber it with yerOisge tending to con-
fusion.
Senator Armistead favored the amend
melt and spoke at some length in favor
OF regulating the conduct of roads rela-
alive TO their running time snd their con-
nectlOn with competing roads.
Senator Claiborne gave a graphic de-
scriptiOn OF the way that opposing lines
acted toward each other before the pres
ent system of pooling went into eff, CT,
that competing lines would miss c0nnec-
ton by arranging their schedule about
five minutes different from each other,
compelling passengers to 90 in a rOunda-
bout way oy their own system or lay over
al railroad boarding house ut eXtrava-
CANT prices. Therefore, he believed It
was just as necessary to regulate the run
ming time as the tariff. Tle amendment
was lost and the section was adopted.
Senator Gregg then made motion to
add to section OF the bill the words,
"Shall not exceed the maximum rates.
Senator Fields, speaking to the
amendment, said he was in favor of it be-
cause he thought the laws had not been
complied with heretofore touching rail-
road traffic. He claimed that the people
had lost confidence IN the railroads, and
the time mad come to regulate them.
Senator Pope was opposed to the
amendment and the bill, because 1t placed
too much power in the hands of three
men. He thought if the courts could not
control the railroads by reasons of their
powerful influence, how much more
would the commissioners be susceptible
to their power. He cited the railroad
commission in Georgia, which had built up
an influence in connection with the roads
of that state powerful enough to elect a
railroad man to fill the position of gov
ernor.
Senator Gregg said that the tenor OF
the opposition last week was that it
created body above the law, but now
they took an opposite ground.
Senator Burgess said if the opposition
seemed to be placed in al awkward po-